CAMP DRAGON

I came up with the idea for Camp Dragon as a way for Kieran's friend Jena to earn $470 to pay for Earthlight Pictures Animation Camp, which begins next week. I believe Kieran and Jena are very marketable as artists and I had all the resources to create a crafting camp for the kids at Hope School who already know me as a Noon Aide (lunch lady). We needed eight campers to earn the money we needed. During two week-long sessions, we had 11 campers. What I didn't expect was that I would be shown my own soul's purpose so clearly.

WEEK ONE

 We had four campers. Their artistic fortes spanned from sculpture to painting to beautiful wire work. During this week, I exposed the kids to sculpture, painting, vision boards, candle-making, book making and jewelry making. I realized the need for me to recognize natural talents and feed them.  I had all the resources to feed their talents and passions.

Sasank was a natural painter and sculptor.

Kara was hungry for the overall experience. She wanted to DO everything.

Evan was a natural wire sculptor and made about a dozen beautiful wire and gemstone rings.

Srikar loved to write and found his passion in book-making. His story is handwritten and at about 40 pages so far.

Jena and Kieran are visual artists and absolutely thrive in sculpture, drawing and painting. Their talent is such a gift to the world. 

Wire figure with sword by Evan.

WEEK TWO

The second week of Camp Dragon brought six new artists with new personalities and passions. 

I had a feeling we were going to need squirt guns.

I told Nick that this might be the last year he can hold his cousin, Aidan on his lap
 so he should just GO WITH IT.

Jairo loved the playtime with all the other kids

Hall of paintings

Sofia was a skilled and gifted sculptor

Nick sculpted and painted these three pieces.

Chris was an inspired sculptor.

Kieran and Jena drew these dragons in about ten minutes on the first day of the first week, We turned them into awards during week two.

Sofia painted beautifully!

Claire painted this amazing abstract which reminded me so much of her- carefully planned out, executed with control; calming and full of love.

Aquatic Wolves by Sofia

This is my FAVORITE painting by Kieran.

Jena's incredible study of the trolls of Homestuck, all free drawn by a self-taught artist!

Painters

boys reading

This says "The planet does not need more 'successful' people..."

Art takes many forms

We had a movie afternoon and I brought out every sleeping bag in our arsenal.

I realized that this group required the creativity of dynamic relationships. They needed more time to interact with each other and play. I made it a point to meet them all at their needs rather than forcing them into art projects if that wasn't what they really wanted.

We made a "measurement wall" where everyone was measured.

Part of what I do well is quickly implementing ideas. Kieran said, "we should measure everybody" and within three minutes, we had a measurement wall.

The floor in our garage is a palate.

This floor is a place to socialize as much as it to express ones self. The cacophony of colors may be unnerving for some, but I LOVE it. I get to touch the moments left by various kids. I always have them sign their name and write their age on each drawing.

This was one of the sweetest weeks of my life where I felt perfectly aligned with my purpose.

 Lucky me.

Soul's Purpose

I have been asking myself for a long while what my soul's purpose is. It has been hard to pin down because I have so many passions. My creative exploits are all over the spectrum and there truly is no limit to that which makes my heart soar.

Since I have taken a break from blogging, I have had so much fun worshiping the last five full moons with two of my closest friends. As a team of explorers, we have ventured into the depths of the sweat lodge via a back yard fire pit, some rocks from Mackenzie Park and a four person tent bought on sale at Big Five.

I have consented to and fully enjoyed being a canvas for my fellow moon goddess, Jill to paint flowers and butterflies, vines and whimsy all over my chest, neck, back and arms.

I have concocted oils for healing the aura and skin, to aid in the laying on of self love to all the body parts that the mirror reveals as flawed or imperfect. My skin is baby soft and feels my own loving touch every day. I have shared these oils with many.

I continue to make jewelry but find myself using gemstones more for meditation and healing than for adornment, although, I will always love color and the magic of the earth in the wearable form.

My book has sat, waiting for the right time. That project done for now, but not complete. I know it holds a place in my soul's purpose. The book is about finding and living the magic offered in every day, every seemingly mundane experience. Then it was revealed to me, that THIS is exactly what my soul's purpose is! I get to live the purely magical life, with all the same ingredients as everyone else, being a child of divorce, abandoned by a father who chose his second family over his first, getting an education, having a career, becoming a wife, a parent and step parent, coping with marriage and sexuality, dealing with my own development into adulthood, being a friend, having relationships, and all this but with the magic I ask for daily from the universe and infuse into this life to make it an extraordinary one. The one that counts! The one that I enjoy from wet and cold birth to dry and warm earthly departure. Wooooeeeeee! Am I lucky or what!? I get to do this so I can show anyone who cares to join me how easy it all is.

My friend Sherae channelled some revealing information regarding my book, PERFECTLY IMPERFECT that has led me to this conclusion about my soul's purpose. it was this:

"These words INSPIRE to look beyond the ordinary, the mundane, to SEE and FEEL the magic within life. people can often feel fearful of looking childish to see the magic around them as an adult and the combination of words through the sharing of your personal journeys gives the reader a seed, an opportunity to look beyond the patterns, the conditions they've been living WITHIN their whole lives. It's like getting a Get out of Jail Free card, the jail being the self imposed interpretations of how and what life is Supposed to be, instead of living in the NOW. There are many MANY writers out there and when there is an alignment of thought that is expressed through a combination of words...sometimes, the equation equals harmony, love and expansion for all. ( As examples I was shown, E=MC2 and lemons +sugar + H2O = lemonade. ???) .....Continue."

During my own meditation, the light came on. DUUUUUHHHHHH! It's what I've been happily doing all along. Again, HOW LUCKY AM I? Doing what I love, and I love to do many many things is what I get to do as my work!

What do you love? What makes your heart soar aloft with joy? What gives you peace? What makes you feel whole? One of my greatest passions is connecting with people, glimpsing or reveling in the light magic that resides in them and holding up the mirror so that they may see for themselves exactly what I see. All the beauty of the UNIVERSE contained in their soul. All the beauty and magic, healing and possibility of the UNIVERSE is contained within you. You are the magic. YOU are the light. Can you feel it?